Xbox One digital pre-orders and pre-loading of games start now with Madden NFL 15

Microsoft has decided to jump the gun a bit on their previously announced plans to offer digital pre-orders and pre-loading of games for the Xbox One. That feature is now live for owners who want to get EA Sports' upcoming Madden NFL 15.

Microsoft previously said the pre-order and pre-loading feature would launch in a few weeks for the release of Forza Horizon 2, but the Xbox.com now shows that the digital version of Madden NFL 2015 can now be purchased ahead of its release on August 26. Most of the game's files can also be downloaded to the Xbox One hard drive after it is purchased, but the game's final files won't be made available until 12:01 am on that date.

How do you feel about this long awaited feature finally being rolled out in a limited way to the Xbox One?

Xbox One digital pre-orders and pre-loading of games start now with Madden NFL 15

Just as long as it works better than the PS4 version. Diablo 3 was 60gb outside North America, instead of the 23gb it should of been because pre loading downloaded all the language packs, another 40gb!

This is nice. Wish that you when digitally download the game upon purchase, that the game system wouldn't need the disc anymore. All that hard drive space for what, if I still need the disc. The copyright or data key should be embedded with your gamertag.

I also thought that the Destiny beta kind of sucked, and I therefore wont' be getting the game. That said, I'm not disappointed that other people like it. What I am disappointed about is that truly innovative games like Project Spark are not getting the media recognition they deserve.

Im not sure if gamestop sells xbox one codes for madden or any games. I know MS is starting to send out cards, but i dont think madden is a part of that. Perhap it is, calling gamestop would help. .

What this article means is that you can go onto xbox.com or go to your xbox and buy the game today and it will start downloading the game today and install. The game will be unplayable until it officially releases next tuesday at 1201 am pst or 3 am est. So when that time hits, your game was already downloaded and you just play.

I just did this, i bought the game, hopefully it is preloading on my xbox while i am at work and there was no sales tax as well.

Which makes sense. And I know that you can purchase a game online digitally through GameStops website. And they give you the 25 digit code on the receipt. So I'm guessing you'd be able to punch in that code immediately. Now..since you just preordered and purchased from Xbox.com, do you get a preorder bonus. Because I thought those were certain store hookups to get you to buy through them. I guess I just don't see the benefit in this feature. You can't even pay here and there like you can at a retail store.

They should let people pre-order any upcoming game... Taking people's money in advance, what a better business that that!... If I owned Microsoft i would have had that option from Xbox One Launch Day! Hahaha!

I wonder if they fixed the game availability for the East Coast.
Up until today a game was available at 3:00am in East Coast on its release date, because Microsoft was publishing them at 12:00am in Pacific Time.

Thanks, I'm at work and was wondering. If companies truly want digital to take off, then this issue has to be addressed. Products need to be available at midnight for buyers, regardless of they location, for physical copies to lose all appeal.

The reason they don't is because people would do time zone switching on their consoles and snatch the game early, which would undermine midnight openings at retailers for big games, which they don't want to do. It's all the same if you're in the Pacific time zone, but people in the Eastern time zone really get screwed over by it.

I love it. Now I can have my own little midnight release party. But there's currently a problem for ea access. If you preorder the bundle from ea access, you won't be able to play the trial. Ea knows about it and is currently investigating.

I was wondering what was going on with EA Access. As subscribers we're supposed to have access to the game 5-days before release with progress carried over if we decide to buy. So pre-ordering from ea should be essentially getting the game 5 days before general release, though we will still need to do a final install on release day.

Can we get Destiny thrown into the pre-order bucket?! Gah. I would totally pre-order for the Vanguard Armory but don't really care to have a physical copy that I have to get off my butt to put in the 'Box. But yes, very glad to have this feature now.